At the beginning of March the city of Zlatograd hosts an annual Mummers Festival. Huge mummer-monsters armed with wooden swords painted in red dance around the streets to scare away all evil from the houses and the souls of people. The mummers are “adorned” with garlic, beans and peppers. On the belts around their waists they have Rhodope bells that come in various sizes. Many Rhodope songs are sung on this day and people celebrate.